20 Years Ago Lil' Kim's "All About the Benjamins" Verse Took Over the Summer

Biggie was the star attraction, but Lil' Kim stole the show.

In the summer of 1997, hip-hop was moving through two of the biggest tragedies it had ever experienced. The previous September, Tupac Shakur had been tragically gunned down amid wax-turned-real life violence; a few months later the same thing happened to his friend-turned-rival, Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace. But in the sweltering summer months that followed, Biggie kept running this rap shit. Posthumous Billboard dominance wasn't anything new at that point, but Biggie's success in the afterlife had added significance, as it helped continue to usher hip-hop into the mainstream and cement the genre's place in society at large.

Biggie's legacy was huge enough to immediately send a number of songs flying up the charts—most notably the tribute track "I'll Be Missing You" but perhaps none more importantly than the crown jewel of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy empire, "It's All About The Benjamins," in its remix form. (For those who may not know, the original version was released in 1996 via DJ Clue's Holiday Holdup mixtape and only featured Puffy, Jadakiss, and Sheek Louch.) Biggie closes the track like the larger-than-life, attention-commanding rapper that he always was. The beat changes as soon as he grabs the mic and talks about getting owned by alcohol, listening to Redman and Naughty By Nature, and just running shit like a mob boss. His wordplay is epic, as are his delivery and rhyme schemes.

"Lil' Kim has a right to remain silent ... when it comes to talking about the robbery that went down at the L.A. home she intended to rent, and she did -- even at a strip club.

The rapper was leaving Crazy Girls early Thursday morning in L.A. where we first buttered her up, and complimented her attire. We then asked point-blank if she's worried about being named a person of interest in the robbery during BET Awards weekend."

Loud Records Founder and WAV principal Steve Rifkind cohosted the event — and led a toast in Prodigy’s honor — with Havoc of Mobb Deep at the Palm Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles on June 25. Among those in attendance were: Lil’ Kim, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Xzibit, Busta Rhymes, Papoose, LeToya Luckett, and Stretch Armstrong.

Along with his musical partner Havoc, Prodigy was a leading light of the hardcore hip-hop sound of the 1990s, and Mobb Deep’s 1995 album “The Infamous” — with its raw depictions of inner city life — was instrumental in returning New York City to the hip-hop vanguard after years of dominance from upstarts on the West Coast. (pagesix)

Lil' Kim and Mobb Deep's Havoc paid tribute to the late rapper Prodigy onstage at the 2017 BET Awards.

"This week, hip-hop suffered a painful loss, with the sudden passing of our brother, Prodigy," Lil' Kim began. "His pen painted vivid pictures of street life. He made what was ugly sound beautiful."

"For over 20 years, he and I went through it all, and seen it all," Havoc added. "I'm going to miss my dude. This loss is painful. But the lyrical legacy he left us will impact the culture forever. Rest in peace, Prodigy. My brother."

"We love you so much," Lil Kim said. "We will never stop repping you -- forever, you live with us."

Lil' Kim is in hot water after a Sunday morning robbery in Los Angeles.

The Brooklyn-born Grammy winner is reportedly being eyed by the Los Angeles Police Department as a person of interest after her crew allegedly lifted a deposit check and cash worth $20,000 from a home Kim had rented — and then bailed on — for the night.

The incident began after Kim and her crew determined the home, which they had rented for a BET party Saturday night, was not up to snuff, TMZ reports. The "Crush on You" singer demanded money back from the owner or property manager, but did not receive it, sparking an argument that resulted in a call to the cops.

The police determined it was a civil matter and left, but robbers reportedly returned to the home around 4 a.m. donning ski masks and flaunting weapons to retrieve the deposit, slash the victim's tires and steal a hubcap while they were at it.

The LAPD has reportedly launched a robbery investigation.

Representatives for Lil' Kim did not immediately respond to request for comment. (Rollingout)